DanaPoint-CA.com – DANA POINT, CA — Monday is National Pets Day, and many residents as well as others across the country are honoring their furry friends.

According to petdayusa.com, National Pet Day was founded by Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige, to celebrate the joy pets bring to our lives and to create public awareness about the plight of many different kinds of animals awaiting a forever home in shelters and rescues all around the globe. The organization urges Americans to volunteer at local animal shelters, donate pet supplies and to have fun with their fur children.

What better way to do that than to take your fur baby out to eat!

Only service animals are allowed inside restaurants in the United States, but many locations in the area have outdoor seating that is pet-friendly. According to BringFido.com, there are these restaurants in the area that have outdoor seating for you and your loved one.

Dana Point, CA – Mickey Munoz knows the secret to staying young: He spends as much time as he can stand-up paddling on the water.

“I keep getting younger every year,” said the 78-year-old Capo Beach paddler, who was famous in the 60s for his innovative style on a surfboard, and was one of the early adopters on stand-up paddleboards a decade ago.

An event in his name – the annual Mickey Munoz Mongoose Cup – was held under cloudy skies in Dana Point on Saturday, drawing stand-up paddling enthusiasts from various disciplines of the sport for a day of fun. Cloudy conditions and occasional drizzle didn’t detract from the festival, where more than 120 competitors showed up for various events.

“Everyone is liking this because it’s cooler for racing,” Munoz said. “The conditions are beautiful, we are so lucky to have this beautiful event for our family.”

By family, he meant the stand-up community.

Jenney Cleveland, of Ladara Ranch, discovered stand-up paddling after her son Patrick, 16, had an injury that prevented him from playing baseball. When asked what he wanted to do, he mentioned SUP.

He joined The Paddle Academy, a training group dedicated to helping youth sharpen their competitive skills. There were about 30 Paddle Academy students at the event.

“All of his friends are on the paddle team. He’s healthier, he’s more fit,” Cleveland said. “He’s found his place on the water.”

Robert Howson had his camera out to snap photos as his 13-year-old daughter Jade raced into the water for the one-mile time trial, which let paddlers know how they compare to other athletes.

For Howson, owner of Harbour Surfboards in Seal Beach, events like this help the father-daughter duo bond. He admits she’s better than him at short-distance races, and she’s quickly gaining on him in longer events.

“I think I’m the luckiest dad in the world,” he said. “One of the saddest things is when I think, she might not want to hang with me. This is everything. It’s bonding, a little bit of nature. I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do. Even if it’s raining.”

Munoz started the event seven years ago as a way to help beginner and intermediate paddlers with their techniques, and also to educate paddlers about how to coexist with boaters in the harbor.

“In the following year or two, a lot of the boaters who were moaning about it all had SUP boards on their boats,” he said.

The event is unique because of the relaxed vibe, in contrast to serious races – but it still drew some of the world’s best SUP competitors, with athletes like Slater Trout and Colin McPhillips cheering on the kids during the racing events.

Trout started about 10 years ago when the sport first started taking off. He was one of the only kids doing it at the time, and is now blown away by the numbers embracing the sport.

“These are the guys who in five years who are going to give me a run for my money,” said Trout, who lives in Dana Point. “These kids are so excited and so into it.”

The day also brought niche SUP activities like yoga while trying to balance on a board, and adaptive SUP for people in wheelchairs.

Shad Eischen, 34, Fallbrook was there with his non-profit Pushing for Independence. The paralyzed paddler spent the morning gliding on the water while sitting in a wheelchair and hoped others would come throughout the day to try it out.

“Being on the water, it’s healing,” he said.

The event also served as a fundraiser for the Sport of Kings Foundation, a non-profit to help those in the surfboard manufacturing industry afflicted with life threatening and debilitating illnesses.

Dana Point, CA – This past week I went down to Southern California. One of the many fun things I did was go to I Heart Yoga in the Park classes. The class is located in Lantern Bay Park in Dana Point, CA, and is free with a suggested donation of $8.

This was the first time I had tried yoga (besides doing a YouTube class or two in college) although I have been thinking of taking classes for a while. The first class was incredibly hard but the other two I went to were a lot easier. I went to two evening classes and one 10 am class.

Around 30-60 people (forgive me if I’m way off, estimating people can be hard) attended the classes. I had a yoga mat, some water, my (somewhat baggy and loose in all the wrong places) yoga clothes, and my sunglasses. The park overlooks the ocean and it’s very pretty.

Both men and women went to the classes; their ages ranged from late teens/early twenties to their fifties and sixties. (There may have been older people, I just didn’t see them.) The instructors walked around so if you couldn’t hear them at one point, you could hear them later; once in a while they commented on a specific person’s pose to correct it or to praise it.

I can see the class being better for people who actually know what they’re doing in yoga, but I didn’t have too much trouble following along. I’m sure my form could have been better but I definitely got a workout and I was careful to not hurt myself. (I just looked at a picture of myself doing downward dog and I didn’t realize that it was more like an upside down ‘v’ so I know that I was doing that one wrong, my back was curved.)

Since I have some free time coming up and I enjoyed the classes, I might look into taking a few yoga classes here in the northwest.

A multinational team of researchers set out to settle what has oddly been a longstanding dispute in scientific circles: whether, in Moby Dick-esque fashion, sperm whales could use their heads to bash seagoing vessels. And it seems that Herman Melville got it right. Writing in the journal PeerJ, researchers concluded that a part of a sperm whale's head "evolved to function as a massive battering ram during male-male competition." The idea has been "highly controversial" because skeptics say such collisions would damage sensitive organs inside the whale's head, but in a press release, the researchers say connective tissue "may function as a shock absorber." The researchers, who hail from Australia, the US, England, and Japan, didn't determine whether the whales actually butt heads or ram boats, the Washington Post notes, only that they could—and live to fight another day.

Four incidents occurred between 1820 and 1902 in which sperm whales reportedly rammed whaling ships, according to Tech Times, and one of them inspired Melville to write Moby Dick. The sperm whale's forehead—"one of the strangest structures in the animal kingdom," per the study's lead author—is home to what is called the spermaceti organ (which is filled with oil) and something called the junk sac. It has been established that the junk sac helps with echolocation. This new research, based on simulated whale crash tests, concludes that it can also be used as a weapon. The idea is further supported by the fact that the exterior of the junk is often scarred, per the study. "So there you have it, aspiring whalers," the Postwrites. "The Moby Dicks out there are well-prepared to take you on." (An ancient white whale was discovered in the depths of the Smithsonian.)

EY today announced semifinalists for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 Awards in Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Now celebrating its 30th year, the awards program recognizes entrepreneurs in more than 145 cities in 60 countries who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The business leaders noted below were selected as semifinalists by a panel of independent judges composed of local business leaders, including past winners.

The finalists will be announced on Monday, May 23. Winners will be announced at a formal awards gala at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif., on Friday, June 17, with more than 500 founders, CEOs and other business leaders in attendance.

To attend the gala or learn more about the Orange County program, please visit http://www.ey.com/us/eoy/oc or contact Jessica Williams at (949) 437-0718 or jessica.williams@ey.com.

Join the conversation on social media by following us @EY_EOYUS and using #EOYOC.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall National Award winner, will be announced at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2016. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum , the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. The U.S. Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner then competes for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Monaco, June 2017.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP Americas, Merrill Corporation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Orange County EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are sponsored by Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, Hollencrest Capital Management, Lockton Companies, Smart Business, Tangram, Woodruff-Sawyer & Company, and HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications.

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of
Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY’s Strategic Growth Markets practice
EY’s Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practices guide leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary teams of elite professionals provide perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. EY is the undISPuted leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter @EY_Growth.

There’s a luminous underwater world just waiting to shine!
Learn about the remarkable ability of some marine animals to glow in the dark and witness this curiously beautiful phenomenon.

Come aboard the R/V Sea Explorer and join us at night off the coast of Dana Point to encounter bioluminescent plankton.
A meter net is deployed to capture thousands of these drifting organisms that have the ability to make their own light.
Also, witness the food chain under our deployed squid light–from the tiniest of plankton, to fish and squid–and at times the sea lions and dolphin who feed on them!

The mission of the Dana Point Symphony is to provide world-class classical music to the Dana Point and surrounding community and make it accessible to everyone.

The Dana Point Symphony was created through the vision of its artistic director Berenika Schmitz, conductor and music director Dean Anderson, and The City of Dana Point under the leadership of Scott Schoeffel. In addition to presenting high caliber music, the Dana Point Symphony features one visual artist exhibition at the meet-the-artist receptions. Each concert experience is artistically crafted to the desires of the audience.

The Dana Point Symphony’s artistic programs would not be possible without the generous support of its community and dedicated individuals. There are many ways for you to play a crucial role. Each offers its own experiences and rewards.

I hope the county specifies, in any contract that the fees cannot be increased without county approval nor more than the COL maximum. The average working person owning smaller boats has a hard time as it is affording his boating activities and many would not be able to continue if prices increased.

Re: Former publisher looks back on publication’s history (June 19, 2015 issue). One of my favorite people, ever. Launched my journalism career and gave me, as a 20-year-old student at San Diego State, a wonderful job with a great atmosphere. Lou is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met, with a great sense of humor. I miss him.

Thomas K. Arnold
Submitted on TheLog.com

Consider our coastline

The Log Newspaper: Our latest #political #cartoon mocks the redevelopment process, with growth & #economic benefits on one side versus coastal protection and skepticism of #CorporateAmerica on the other. What's your take?

Chris Winter: There needs a balance. What coast we have left to develop is limited as most of it is now in a preserved status. A landowner is entitled to do whatever they want with their lands if they cannot than- See
Regards,
(March 25 issue). Congrats, Ray Ashley. I've visited your museum. San Salvador is a great piece of art. Re: Spain to honor SD Maritime Museum CEO

Congrats, Ray Ashley!

Here in Redondo (ReCondo) Beach, the waterfront redevelopment conflict pits crony backers of a retail “lifestyle” shopping center versus public supporters interested in preserving boating and other marine activities for the public.Sara Burns:

the environmentalists need to compensate the owner.moreat: http://www.thelog.com/Opinion/Article/Small-boater-owner-chimes-in-on-DP-RFQ#sthash.QJNGMjvT.dpuf